Mumbai Champs sinks Ahemdabad Rockets

Panchkula: Mumbai Champs scored an impressive six-wicket win over Ahemdabad Rockets in the 11th match of the Edelweiss 20s Challnge being played at Tau Devi Lal stadium, Pachkula on Tuesday. Raviraj Patel put up a brilliant performance with the bat, whereas Yadav lead the proceedings with the ball (4 for 14).

After skipper Damien Martyn won the toss, Ahmedabad Rockets were given a fine start by openers. Wavell Hinds and Sachin Dholpure played Champs' opening bowlers JJ Van Der Wath and Tino Best with ease as they scored runs easily in the first few overs. Hinds started the fireworks in the first over itself hitting Van Der Wath for two consecutive fours in the first over of the Rockets' innings and then carried the onslaught in the next over hitting Tino Best for two consecutive boundaries .

Dholpure too came into his stride as he smashes two boundaries in a the fifth over bowled by Van Der Wath thereby taking the Rockets score to 31 for 0 in five overs.

Both of them continued to deal in singles and occasional boundaries thereby completing the 50-run partnership in 49 balls before Michael Kasprowicz trapped Dholpure lbw at an individual score of 26 runs in the tenth over with Rockets' score being 61 for 1.

Khirid struck the second blow for Rockets as he removed Murray Goodwin (6) who fell to a dubious lbw decision by umpire Brandon in the next over. Skipper Damien Martyn then joined Wavell Hinds but soon Hinds departed in the 12th over as he was clean bowled by Yadav at an individual score of 30 runs off 33 balls.

Sriram then played a quick fire innings of 19 runs off 9 balls which included three hits to the boundary before being run out after a fine throw from Jayantha in the 14th over. Yadav struck a crucial blow to Rockests as he picked up the important wicket of Damien Martyn (8) in the same over as Martyn gave a simple catch to Jayatha at midwicket with Rockets' scorecard reading 97 for 5 in 14 overs. Nathan Astle snapped up Heath Streak on the first ball of the 15th over trapping Streak plumb in front of the wicket to make it 97 for 6 for Rockets in 14.1 overs.

Reeteinder Singh Sodhi and Jason Gilespie then carried the score to 114 before Sodhi (8) was caught by Khirid at long on off the bowling of Yadav in the 18th over. Yadav picked his fourth wicket of the innings in the form of RB Patel (1) when he clean bowled Patel in the same over. PP Vora (5) was run out in the final over before Gillespie and S Kalia helped Rockets to reach 131 for 9 in the allotted 20 overs.

Chasing a target of 132 runs in 20 overs, Champs were off to a bad start as opener S Paul (1) gave simple catch to wicketkeeper Vora off the bowling of Jason Gillespie in the third over. Jayatha too departed after contributing 13 runs off 22 balls after he was clean bowled by Patel in the sixth over.

But RP Patil and Nathan Astle were then associated in a 41-run stand for the third wicket to set up the run chase for Champs Patil was more into destructive mode as he smashed three fours and three sixes during the 41-run stand before Astle was clean bowled by Reetinder Singh Sodhi in the 13th over with Champs needing 55 runs off 44 balls. But Patil continued his dominance over Rockets' bowlers as he raced to his fifty in 33 balls thereby sharing a 32-run stand with Kiran Powar in the process.

When Jason Gillespie clean bowled Powar in the 17th over, Champs still needed 23 runs off 22 balls. Patil and Khanolkar then took the score to 122 before Champs needed ten runs off the last over. Khanolkar struck two magnificent boundaries off the first two balls before Champs romped home with two balls remaining.